So Empire Life hired me on as a Computer Print Operator and so far, there is a lot of learning to do but the job is going well. I am currently working 7.5 hour days, Monday to Friday, but at the end of my three month training, I will be working 12.5 hour days or nights. it’s shift work, so it’s something I have to start getting used to again, but I think I can deal with it. Empire Life seems to be a great place to work. Tones of friendly people, and so many great things I can learn while I am there. The great thing about working at Empire Life is they really like training their staff. So I can apply for courses related to the insurance field, or anything else that might help their company out, and they will pay for the course and give me a bonus after I finish the course. This place is wonderful.
So what does a Computer Print Operator do you ask? Well, I am responsible for looking after the 5 huge printers we have, that combined, print over 8 million pages a year. I am also responsible for looking after the mainframe and the servers. Among the many things I do on the server, the one that takes up most of my time is running COBOL and JCL jobs for the other departments working at Empire Life. it’s neat being able to have so much power and yet at the same time it worries me because I don’t want to mess up and do the wrong thing and cause a huge problem for Empire Life. I have some pictuers of my work place over on my flicker account. (Empire Life has kindly asked me to remove my pictures from my flickr account. Sorry everyone)
I’m sure I will be making more posts about this place as time goes on. I also want to start posting more on this site as I feel like I am letting my cousin David down by not putting this site to good use. Since he is paying for the server and I think still is paying for the domain name, I feel like I need to keep this updated to show him I am getting value out of this site. Thank you very much David!
With so many people being laid off in the first recession of the new century, many people are in the market for a permanent job. This means that the competition is fierce for any company looking to hire. With the Bank of Canada officially calling the recession over, there are still many companies that cannot afford to hire their staff back. This means that many are looking for jobs else where. Some are having no choice but to take lower positions just to make an income. Some people are even going back to working at places like McDonald’s or Starbucks. People that, just the last year, were working as entry level software programmers or any other such entry level positions.
Many have even given the thought of being there own boss. I have started more and more thinking that this might be a good way to go. But sadly, I don’t know if I am willing to put in the 10-13 hour days, 5 to 7 days a week, in order to get my name out there. I am by no means a business man, so I would not be starting a store front business of my own, but rather as a freelance writer/ web specialist. After knowing two people that have been doing this sort of thing for years and both of them telling me how hard and frustrating things are, it really makes me wonder if this is something I want to do.
I have also given the thought of possibly doing this as a side project and still trying to find a job working part time somewhere. But after putting out at least two dozen resumes to different companies and not hearing a work back from ANY of them other then to let me know they received my electronic application, I am starting to give up hope of ever finding a job. I know that a majority of my content on this site has been all over the place and about my personal life. This is mainly because I can’t think of one thing I am really good at that I might be able to capture a niche market’s attention with. I think what I need to start out doing is possibly picking two or three topics that I like writing about, and try finding which one I have the most success with and go with it. I know that in order to get my name out there I will need to use application such as Twitter, Facebook, del.icio.us , digg, reddit and many other social media/bookmarking sites. I don’t know if I want to start doing that though. It all sounds very easy, but to put good content out into the world that people are will to read is another story. So the question is, should I start small, only working on one site and get that up and running while I continue to look for a new job, or should I just go all in and work on two sites and promote the heck out of them and see about making that my permanent job?
With the economy not looking that great in both Canada and the U.S, things for me are not looking that great when it comes to getting a job in my field. Yes, Canada is barely going to scratch by with a growth this year, but not much, and this makes many business owners nervous and still very apprehensive in hiring new employees. I have looked all over Kingston and sent out many resumes to jobs available in both Kingston and Ottawa and have yet to hear back from any of them. This has really started to put a damper on my spirits. I have not given up hope, but it feels like there is going to be no end in site for my unemployment.
My ONLY grip about sending out resumes is that employers do not need to contact potential employees if they are not selected. This means that I could apply for a job and never know if anything went wrong with my application or if I was not what the employer was looking for. I really wish it was mandatory for employers to contact ALL potential employees that submit a resume and let them know either way. This would eliminate the constant worry that I have been doing something wrong. I mean, I have taken the time to apply to your company, the least you can do is give me a 5 minute call stating that, “Sorry, we are not interested in continuing with an interview.” Give a very brief explanation why: “Over qualified”, “Not enough experience”, “Not the right fit”, etc. This would cut down on people calling in to the company to find out what is going on. Yes, I understand that not everyone takes rejection well and might have a million questions as to why they were not considered, but then the employer can just say that they wish not to discus the issue further and wish the now unsuccessful candidate a good day and hang up. This way people are not left hanging in nowhere land.
With no luck and very little leads, trying to find a job in Kingston has become a next to impossible task for me. Trying to find something that pays at least $15 an hour or more using the skills I have learned in my four years at college is hard. Many businesses are bunkering down with the employees they have and trying very hard to stay afloat in this economy.
Working at a minimum wage job for 40 hours a week just wont pay my bills. I will go farther and farther into debt and that is not somewhere I want to be at this point. And it seems such a shame to have wasted four years of my life learning something I may never use in a job.
Another problem is the fact that I don’t have a car and would have to rely on the Kingston Bus system to get me to and from work that may be to far to walk. So it makes it hard to find jobs just slightly outside of Kingston.
“What about going to another city?” Well there in lies another problem. I don’t want to leave Ontario or really the Ottawa – Kingston Area. I like both cities and would like to start a life in either one. But finding a permanent full time job with good pay in Ottawa is hard. Or I have found it to be.
An old co-worker of mine suggested that I send my resume to “head hunters” because a lot of companies turn to consulting firms before going to the public to find a job. So I think in the next week I will be doing some research on a few firms and see what they have to offer and if they are able to help me find a job.
If there is anyone that knows of a place looking for a computer programmer or computer networking & technical support specialist in Kingston or Ottawa, please leave me your email and I will get back to you as soon as possible
As I am sure many of you can tell, it’s been a while since I have posted on the site. So I thought it was about time to give a quick update.
- Edyy was put down due to contracting Feline Infectious Peritonitis. (FIP)
- I was layed off from my programming job at the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care
- Amy and I purchased a new kitten and we named her Lily Marie Fox
- Amy and I are now engaged. No date has been set yet, but are both very excited about it
- I had an interview with the Information Management Systems with the Correction Services Canada Regional office at Collins Bay Penitentiary
So far I have not heard back for CSC, but am hoping to soon. I a going to try and start updating my site more as I have more free time. I have been very depressed because of losing my job and the loss of Edward but I am trying to look on the bright side of things and am glad that I still have a roof over my head and good health.
The title sounds like a music group but i assure you, it is not (As far as I know.) But I did spend Thursday and Friday in Toronto working on Migrating Laptops for the Pharmacy Liason Officers. There is a funny story that I have been telling people but I would much rather not say it to everyone. It basically involves a Porno CD, and I will leave it at that.
So I spent the time not working for the Ministry of Health with my cousin David who was coming down to Kingston anyway for some much needed R&R. We got to hang out and look around and hang out a bit. I decided to take in a play and went to see Jersey Boys again at the Toronto Theater for the Arts. I was lucky in that I baught my ticket at the door and was able to get a seat for $35 (Tickets are normally $65 to $130.) I was also lucky because I got a seat in between two people but one of them did not show up. This was good for me as I am very broad shouldered and dont fit into the seats very well. But I was able to enjoy the play and took the TTC “Red Rocket” back to the hotel room.
Then David and I boarded the VIA train back to Kingston to spend the weekend shopping for xmas gifts for my family and for Amy’s family. So far I only need gifts for about 4 or 5 more people then I should be all done. Hopefully I can get that done this weekend. It was nice to hang out with David and Amy as it gets very quiet in my apartment with only Edyy and myself living there.
As you can see, markwood.ca has a new look to it. This is a free Wordpress Theme that I found online and really enjoyed. I want to eventually hire someone to create my new custom design and then code it to work well with widgets and plug-ins. But till I find the money for that, this is what the site is going to look like.
I want to apologize for the lack of updates these past two weeks but I have been really busy at work and have been spending some over time at work to get things done. Also I have not had a lot to talk about since I have been not doing much other then working and playing Fallout 3 when I have a few minutes at home.
Just a small update. I wrote a qualifying test for the COBOL and JAVA SO2 positions in the ministry and did not end up getting a call back for an interview. I guess that’s just the way things work out. Hopefully I will be able to get another contract and stay with the Ministry of Health a little longer, but we’ll see how that all works out. I might be looking for a job in the next month if things don’t pan out.
Other then that, nothing else is new. Hopefully some new and interesting things come up and I can start talking about them instead of the horribly boring updates I am giving you right now.
I am Thankful for the amazing daughter Greg and Ann Fox gave birth to. With out these two people, I would not be dating this amazingly beautiful woman. I am also thankful of other things, such as my government job and my new apartment. But what I really love is the fact that I was able to get TWO Thanksgiving dinners this week. The one at my girlfriend Amy’s place, and the other at my mother Nancy’s place last night. The Thanksgiving dinner last night was more for my mothers 42nd 32nd birthday, but I still count it as part of thanksgiving since there was Turkey, Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Stuffing and Pumpkin pie.
I have been learning a lot about digital cameras, and I have been experimenting with mine on it’s Manual setting, changing the ISO, Shutter and Apature speeds in order to get better looking, more vibrant pictures. So far I have only been able to get a few nice pictures that I like, but I am sure that as I continue to learn all the different functions and read more into who to photograph objects and people, I will be able to take more and more superb shots and not have to do tones of post-production on photoshop or something similar (Since i dont have thousands to spend on the Adobe Photoshop suit). I am hoping to start document my learning on a site I am working on, so keep an eye out for some more updates later on in the new year.
Yes, I know this post should have been out two days ago, but I came down with a bad sinus cold and have not been able to think well enough to concentrate long enough to write all the things I want to talk about. So now that I am feeling a little better, I thought I would try and get through what I did this weekend.
To start things off, I will send you to xfep.com to read a funny little story about how the WordCamp Toronto 2008 hash tag battle happened. So in the end, my hash tag that I came up with in the morning before the event came out on top for both days! I think I should have one a prize for that. But no worries. At least I know that I created the hash tag for WordCamp Toronto 2008.
For those of you that have no idea what WordCamp is, I will take the next few minutes to explain WordCamp to you as best I can. WordCamp is a conference build around the blogging software called Wordpress. Markwood.ca and many other personal and professional blogs are based on this software. So WordCamp is a place for people that use this software to find out new things coming up with Wordpress as well as learn different ways to use Wordpress from other presenters. There are topics such as WordPress Gallery with Rannie Turingan, WordPress Security with Mark Jaquith, WordPress and Podcasting: The Good, The Bad and The Audible with Charles Hodgson, Running Your Blog Like a Pro with David Peralty and a few others that I will mention at the end of my post.
There is so much to learn at these events that I thought I would record them all for myself so that I can refer back to them on a later date, but then I thought, “Why hog these sessions for myself? Why not post them online for everyone to see?” So that is exactly what I did. I attended ever session (except for the last panel because I had to get a cab to make it to the train station on time for my train.) Being a novice at blogging and wanting to get into the world of professional blogging, this event was very useful for me. I hope that other people will take the 6 hours plus needed to watch all these videos and really use them to improve your blogging abilities or to get into the world of blogging.
WordCamp Toronto Schedule:
Day One
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Blogging as a Cornerstone of Social Media with Joseph Thornley
video: The Video
11:00 a.m. – 11: 45 a.m. – ‘State of the Word’ with Matt Mullenweg
video: Part A, Part B
1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – WordPress Gallery with Rannie Turingan
video: The Video
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – WordPress: Beyond A Blog with Jamie Oastler
video: The Video
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – WordPress and Podcasting: The Good, The Bad and The Audible with Charles Hodgson
video: The Video
Day Two
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – WordPress Security with Mark Jaquith
video: The Video
11:00 a.m. – 11: 45 a.m. – Running Your Blog Like a Pro with David Peralty
video: The Video
1:15 p.m. -2:00 p.m. – Video Blogging with Mark McKay
video: The Video
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Making the Most of Plug-ins with Brendan Sera-Shriar
video: The Video
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Entertainment Blogging: A Panel Discussion with Frank Yang, Tim Shore, Chris Budd and Jonathan Dekel
If you would like a copy of the presenters slides, please go to the WordCamp Toronto Wiki
This week I managed to Hack three out of the four pieces of technology that I wanted to hack. It sounds all interesting and dangerous, but it really was not. I “hacked” my Canon PowerShot S3 IS with the CHDK software that gives me functions that the camera can do, but is not available out of the box with the stock software. I am able to take pictures with a shutter speed of 1 / 10,000 of a second open/close all the way to 64 seconds of the shutter being open and then closing. It also has the ability to take RAW file type pictures. Which I think means negatives.
A raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera or image scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed and ready to be used with a bitmap graphics editor or printed. Normally, the image will be processed by a raw converter in a wide-gamut internal colorspace where precise adjustments can be made before conversion to an RGB file format such as TIFF or JPEG for storage, printing, or further manipulation. These images are often described as “RAW image files” (note capitalization) based on the erroneous belief that they represent a single file format, and thus deserve a common filename extension, .RAW. In fact there are dozens if not hundreds of raw image formats in use by different models of digital cameras
I rented the game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in order for me to get the HomeBrew Channel onto my Wii. I used the Twilight Hack to install the channel and I have the Game until this Saturday so hopefully I will hack away at it for a while because I heard that it was a fairly decent game. The HomeBrew Channel means that I was also able to install software that allows me to watch DVD’s on my Wii which is a big plus since I traded my PS2 (which I would normally use to watch DVD’s on my CRT Television) to my younger brother for this Nintendo DS. His PS2 wont play games, so I thought that since I don’t play my PS2 really anymore, and he does not play his DS anymore, I would trade them. So now I have a DS that I have also “hacked”.
The last thing that I “hacked” was my Nintendo DS lite. I purchased the CycloDS Evolution and the EZ Flash 3-on-1 so that I could play GamyBoy Advanced Games on my DS. I also purchased a 4 Gig microSD card so I could put the games something. It was very simple “hack” but is going to save me a lot of money in the end.
I also spent some time at the mall and just looked around because I know I have no money right now and I just wanted to get out of my house. I am very lonely since I moved out on my own. So if you are in the area and feel like hanging out, let me know. My buzz code is 228. Till next Monday.
